Valve spring split lock catcher



May 30, 1933. J SUNNEN 1,912,104

VALVE SPRING SPLIT LOCK CATCHER Filed March 16, 1932 nun III-k- Josb y Sum/WM Patented May 30, 1933 UNITED, STATES JOSEPH SUNNEN, OIE KIRKWOOIQ, MISSOURI VALVE SPRING SPLIT LOCK OATCHER 7 Application filed March 16, 1932. Serial No. 599,113.

My invention has relation to improvements in tools commonly used by automobile mechanics in performing certain operations on the engine thereof, and it consists in the novel features of construction more fully set forth in the specification and pointed out in the claims.

The present'invention relates more particularly to receptacles, or catchers, for certain par-ts of the valve mechanism such as the split lock for holding the valve spring seat in place, and is an improvement over the device described in my Patent No. 1,764,185, dated June 17, 1930.

As in the device of the patent referred to, my improved receptacle, or catcher, is disposed below the valve spring around the valve stem or cam follower in position to catch the split lock when it is released on lifting the valve. However, the present receptacle is more conveniently operated in that it is provided with a projecting handle and is capable of adapting itself without particular manipulation to the clearances in which the operator must work. In addition to ease of manipulation it is the object of the invention to provide a receptacle that is capable of use in performing service operations on practically any type of engine irrespective of the limited working space or arrangement of the engine valves. This last object is accomplished by forming the receptacle of flexible material so that'it will readily yield to obstructions encountered in placing it in the desired position and at the same time possesses sufficient rigidity to maintain its general shape of a receptacle.

It is also an object of the invention to provide a receptacle that combines with its property of flexibility considerable durability to which end it is formed of a material resistant to the deleterious effects of oil and mixtures of oil and gasoline. These objects, as well as others inherent in the invention, will be better apparent from a detailed description of the invention in connection with the accompanying drawing, in which: 1 V

1 Figure 1 is a side elevation of a fragment of an engine showing several valve stems and my improved receptacle applied to one of them; Fig. 2 is a cross-section taken on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1 with the receptacle left in elevation; Fig. 3 is a top plan of my'improved receptacle; Fig. 4 is across-section thereof taken on the line 4t of Fig. 3.

Referring to the drawing, E represents an internal combustion engine in which the valve spring S rests on a washer or seat W held in place on the valve stem V by a split lock L. In order to remove the valve the spring must also be removed by a tool known as a valve lifter, well known in the art. As soon as the spring is raised from its seat W by the valve lifter the pressure is released from the lock elements L which become dislodged from the valve stem V and fall. The limited clearance around the valve stem, es pecially when the valve lifter is in place, is not suflicient for the operator to catch the lock elements in his hand, but there is sufficient space for the insertion of my improved receptacle R since the receptacle accommodates itself to the space provided, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

The receptacle R is more or less pan-shaped (Figs. 3 and 4:) and has an opening 1 formed approximately at the center of its bottom 2. The front wall 3 of the receptacle is higher than the rear wall 4 so that the top edges of the side walls 5, 5 slope to the rear. The front wall has its upper edge recessed downwardly, i. e. formed'with a centrally disposed reentrant angle 6, from the vertex of which a slit 7 extends inwardly to the opening 1, thus dividing the wall 3 into two similar lobes 8, 8 since the edges between angle 6 and sides 5, 5 are rounded. The margin 9 of opening 1 is provided with a bead 10 opposite to the slit 7 so as to give this edge more body. 1 i The receptacle R is provided with a handle 11 which is secured to the receptacle bottom 2 by means of a clip 12. The ends of said clip have downwardly bent ears 13, 13 which pass through holes 14, 14 in thebottom 2 and holes 15, 15 inthe inner enlarged end 16 of the handle against which said ears are riveted. The inner end 16 of the handle is forked so as to provide fingers 17 ,17 dis posed on each side of the opening 1 for reinforcing the bottom 2' of the receptacle. This reinforcement is desirable on account of the flexibility of the receptacle as hereinabove stated.

The advantage of flexibility in the receptacle is that thewalls thereof will readily bend when encountering an obstacle and per mit the shape of the receptacle to be distorted so that it will enter the restricted space occupied by the valve stem, and the valve stem or cam follower will pass through the slit 7 into opening 1. After the split lock elements have been removed and caught in the receptacle it may be easily withdrawn from the valve stem which passes out of opening 1 through slit 7, the lobes 8, 8 bending apart, or yielding, to permit egress of the stem.

This property of flexibility may be obtained by making the receptacle of rubber, or other material having similar properties. I prefer a rubber material that is resistant to the chemical action of oil and gasoline, as, obviously, a tool of this character will always be more or less covered with oil. Such a material I obtain from manufacturers of rubber 1goods by merely specifying oil resistant rub- Having described my invention, I claim:

1. A catcher for valve assembly parts comprising a receptacle of flexible material, the bottom of said receptacle having an opening, said receptacle having a passageway extending from itsmargin into said opening, a handle fixed to said receptacle bottom, the inner end of said handle being forked to span said opening and stiffen said bottom.

. 2. A catcher for valve assembly parts comprising a receptacle of flexible material, the

bottom of said receptacle having an opening,

said receptacle having a passageway extend-' ing from its margin into said opemng and a handle fixed to said receptacle bottom, the inner end of said handle being enlarged for reinforcing thereceptacle bottom.

3. An article of manufacture comprising a pan-shaped receptacle, said receptacle having a marginal portion of a limp, pliant material readily yieldable to external forces but possessing sufficient rigidity to maintain its shape,the bottom of said receptacle having an opening, and the said mar inal portion having a passageway extending from its outer edge to said opening.

4. A catcher for valve assembly parts comprising a receptacle of flexible material, the bottom part of said receptacle having an opening and said receptacle having a slit extending from said opening to its margin, said receptacle being of material sufficiently stiff to self-sustain itsreceptacle form, but sufficiently flexible tolpermit of deformation by small manual pressure, and sufficiently resilient to resume its normal form and to restore the walls of the slit to adjacency when forced apart.

5. A catcher for valve assembly parts comprising a receptacle of flexible material, such as rubber, the bottom part of said receptacle having an opening and said receptacle havingva slit extending from said opening to its margin, said receptacle being of material sufficiently stiff to self-sustain its receptacle form, but sufficiently flexible to permit of deformation by small manual pressure, and sufliciently resilient to resume its normal form and to restore the walls of the slit to adjacency when forced apart.

6. A catcher for valve assembly parts comprising a receptacle of flexible material, the bottom part of said receptacle having an opening and said receptacle having a slit extending from said opening to its margin, said receptacle being of material sufficiently stiff to self-sustain its receptacle form, but sufliciently flexible to permit of deformation by small manual pressure, and sufficiently resilient toresume its normal form and to restore the walls of the slit to adjacency when forced apart, said receptacle having a reenforcing plate at the bottom to facilitate forcing it into position.

7. A catcher for valve assembly parts comprising a receptacle of flexible material, the bottom part of said receptacle having an opening and said receptacle having a slit extending from said opening to its margin, said receptacle being of material sufliciently stiff to self-sustain its receptacle form, but sufiiciently flexible to permit of deformation by small manual pressure, and sufliciently resili-ent to resume its normal form and to restore the walls of the slit to adjacency when forced apart, said receptacle having a reenforcing plate smaller than the base of the receptacle at the bottom-to" facilitate forcing it into position.

8. A catcher for valve assembly parts comprising a receptacle of flexible material, the bottom part of said receptacle having an opening and said receptacle having a slit extending from said opening to its margin, said receptacle being of material sufficiently stiff to self-sustain its receptacle form, but sufficiently flexible to permit of deformation by smallmanual pressure, and sufficiently resilient to resume its normal form and torestore the walls of the'slit to adjacency when forced apart, and a handle securedto the bottom of the receptacle and projecting laterally therefrom.

9. A catcher for valve assembly parts comprising areceptacle of flexible material, the bottom part of said receptacle having an opening and said receptacle having aslit extending from said opening to its margin, the

walls of said receptacle being'of material 130 sufliciently stiff to self-sustain its receptacle form, but sufliciently flexible to permit of deformation by small manual pressure, and sufficiently resilient to resume its normal form and to restore the walls of the slit to 5 adjacency when forced apart.

In testimony whereof I hereunto aflix my signature.

JOSEPH SUNNEN. 

